LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR

REVIEW OF PART OF THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE OF AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF IN THE AREA OF ROAD

REPORT AND PROPOSALS LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR WALES

REVIEW OF PART OF THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SWANSEA IN THE AREA OF PONTARDAWE ROAD

REPORT AND PROPOSALS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SCOPE AND OBJECT OF THE REVIEW

3. DRAFT PROPOSALS

4. SUMMARY OF REPRESENTATIONS RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT PROPOSALS

5. ASSESSMENT

6. PROPOSALS

7. CONSEQUENTIAL ARRANGEMENTS

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

9. RESPONSES TO THIS REPORT

The Local Government Boundary Commission For Wales Caradog House 1-6 St Andrews Place CARDIFF CF10 3BE Tel Number: (029) 20395031 Fax Number: (029) 20395250 E-mail: [email protected] H Esq MP AM First Secretary The National Assembly for Wales REVIEW OF PART OF THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF NEATH PORT TALBOT AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SWANSEA IN THE AREA OF PONTARDAWE ROAD REPORT AND PROPOSALS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 We, the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales (the Commission), have completed the review of part of the boundary between the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea in the area of Pontardawe Road and present our proposals for a new boundary.

2. SCOPE AND OBJECT OF THE REVIEW

2.1 Section 54(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 (the Act) provides that the Commission may in consequence of a review conducted by them make proposals to the National Assembly for Wales for effecting changes appearing to the Commission desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government.

Procedure

2.2 Section 60 of the Act lays down procedural guidelines which are to be followed in carrying out a review. In line with that guidance, we wrote on 28 June 1999 to the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea Councils, Clydach and Pontardawe Councils, the Members of Parliament for the local constituencies, the Assembly Members for the area, the local authority associations, the police authority for the area and political parties to inform them of our intention to conduct the review, and to request their preliminary views. We invited the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea Councils to submit suggestions for changes to the boundary. We also publicised our intention to conduct the review in local newspapers circulating in the area and asked the councils to display a number of public notices.

3. DRAFT PROPOSALS

3.1 We received representations from Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council; The City and County of Swansea Council; two and community councils; Martin Caton MP; Peter Hain MP; Alun Cairns AM; Val Feld AM; AM; AM; and three other interested bodies and

1 residents. These representations were taken into consideration and summarised in our Draft Proposals published on 25 February 2000.

3.2 Our Draft Proposals recommended that the boundary between the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea should be realigned in the area under review to follow the present line along the centre of Heol-y-Ffin until it reaches the centre of Pontardawe Road. It should then turn towards until it reaches a point opposite the boundary between 172 Pontardawe Road and 246 Swansea Road. The boundary should then turn to follow the line of this fence boundary until it again meets the existing boundary. The proposed change to the boundary was shown on the map within the report.

3.3 Copies of the Draft Proposals were sent to all the councils, bodies and individuals referred to in paragraph 2.2 seeking their views. A copy was also sent to anyone who had submitted preliminary comments. By public notice we also invited any other organisation or person with an interest in the review to submit their views. Copies of the Draft Proposals were made available for inspection at the offices of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, the City and County of Swansea Council and the Commission and were also deposited at the offices of the Authority.

4. SUMMARY OF REPRESENTATIONS RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT PROPOSALS

4.1 We received representations from Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council; Clydach ; Edwina Hart AM; and two other interested bodies and residents. All of these representations were considered carefully before formulating our proposals.

4.2 Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council said that they did not wish to make any further representations concerning the Commission’s review of the boundary.

4.3 Clydach Community Council supported the proposed change to the existing boundary outlined in the Draft Proposals.

4.4 Edwina Hart AM said that she supported the proposed change to the existing boundary outlined in the Draft Proposals.

4.5 Ordnance Survey said that they had no comment to make regarding the proposed change to the existing boundary.

4.6 Mr P Davies, writing on behalf of the residents of 162 to 172 Pontardawe Road, said that the residents of the properties involved supported the proposed change to the existing boundary outlined in the Draft Proposals.

2 5. ASSESSMENT

5.1 In our Draft Proposals report we noted that there was a general consensus that there is a need to change the present boundary between Neath Port Talbot and Swansea as it is not clearly defined where it lies to the rear of the properties at 162 to 172 Pontardawe Road. We received three suggestion for an alternative boundary:

· that the boundary should continue the present line along the boundary between number 162 Pontardawe Road and the cemetery until it reaches the bank of the and then follows the canal until it reaches the present boundary;

· that the boundary should continue the present line along the centre of Heol-y-Ffin until it reaches the centre of Pontardawe Road. It should then turn towards Trebanos until it reaches a point opposite the boundary between 172 Pontardawe Road and 246 Swansea Road. The boundary should then turn to follow the line of this fence boundary until it again meets the existing boundary;

· that the boundary should divert from the present boundary at the point where it meets the disused railway line. It should then follow the path of a stream at the rear of 39 Heol-y-Llwynan and on in a culvert to the rear of 2 Farm Road where it emerges briefly before again going underground emerging at the boundary of ‘Den Van’ and 230 Swansea Road.

5.2 Before publishing our Draft Proposals we undertook a site visit to the area in order to review the position generally, and to consider the alternative proposals for the realignment of the boundary. We considered that the boundary suggested in the second of the alternatives was clearly defined, would affect only a small number of residents and would appear to satisfy the concerns over service delivery issues that have been raised.

5.3 We have considered the representations made to us in response to our Draft Proposals and we are satisfied that the balance is overwhelmingly in favour of the realignment proposed in our Draft Proposals.

6. PROPOSALS

6.1 Having considered all of the evidence available to us we propose that in the interests of effective and convenient local government, the boundary between the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea in the area under review should be realigned to follow to follow the present line along the centre of Heol-y-Ffin until it reaches the centre of Pontardawe Road. It should then turn towards Trebanos until it reaches a point opposite the boundary between 172 Pontardawe Road and 246 Swansea Road. The boundary should then turn to follow the line of this fence boundary until it again meets the existing boundary. The proposed change to the boundary is shown in blue on the map at Appendix 1.

3 6.2 As a consequence:

The area including the properties numbered 162 to 172 Pontardawe Road as indicated on the map at Appendix 1 will be transferred from the Trebanos Ward of the Community of Pontardawe in Neath Port Talbot to the Clydach Ward of the Community of Clydach in Swansea. As the Trebanos electoral division of Neath Port Talbot is coterminous with the Trebanos ward of the Community of Pontardawe and the Clydach electoral division includes the Clydach Ward of the Community of Clydach, there will be a corresponding change to the boundaries of these electoral divisions.

7. CONSEQUENTIAL ARRANGEMENTS

7.1 This report details our proposal for change to the boundary between the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea. In considering the change to the boundary it was also necessary for us to take account of the effects on the electoral arrangements for the community councils and the principal authority councils which would result from this change.

7.2 We draw attention to the fact that six private properties would be transferred from Neath Port Talbot to Swansea if the proposed boundary were adopted. This would require a change to be made to the electoral registers of the relevant councils but due to the small number of electors involved, would not affect the electoral arrangements for the community or principal councils.

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

8.1 We wish to express our gratitude to the principal councils and all the community councils for their assistance during the course of the review and to all bodies and persons who made representations to us.

9. RESPONSES TO THIS REPORT

9.1 Having completed our review of part of the boundary between the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea in the area of Pontardawe Road and submitted our recommendations to the National Assembly for Wales, we have fulfilled our statutory obligation under the Act.

9.2 It now falls to the National Assembly for Wales, if it thinks fit, to implement them with or without modifications by means of an Order or to direct the Commission to conduct a further review. Such an Order will not be made earlier than a period of six weeks from the date that the Commission’s recommendations are submitted to the National Assembly for Wales.

9.3 Any further representations concerning the matters in the report should be addressed to the National Assembly for Wales. They should be made as soon

4 as possible, and in any event not later than six weeks from the date that the Commission’s recommendations are submitted to the National Assembly for Wales. Representations should be addressed to:

Local Government Modernisation 2 Division National Assembly for Wales Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ

PROFESSOR E SUNDERLAND OBE LL MA PhD LLD FIBiol (Chairman)

E F L FITZHUGH OBE DL (Deputy Chairman)

MRS S G SMITH LLB (Member)

R L KNIGHT BA MSc MRTPI (Secretary)

July 2000

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